By a THTK contributor
In this week’s press wrap, why Deputy President William Ruto wants The Standard newspaper’s editors to testify at the ICC. Also, what are all those MPs doing in The Hague?
You probably missed it, but Deputy President William Ruto this week picked a fight with The Standard newspaper. The first sign of trouble was this tweet from Ruto’s official Twitter handle.
t
So if the editors/owners of standard have evide- nce that sang & I burnt Kenyans in kiambaa church why don't they provide for justice sake.
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— William Samoei Ruto (@WilliamsRuto) November 18, 2015
The deputy president was apparently unhappy that an editorial piece that The Standard had published on Wednesday about Kenya’s ongoing efforts to rescue him and his co-accused Joshua Sang from the clutches of the ICC contained this nugget:
“To these leaders, perhaps the deaths of 35 people in the Kiambaa church arson attack are a fairy tale.”
As The Star reported, besides the reference to the Kiambaa church attack, there was a lot more in the editorial to anger Ruto. Take this line from the second paragraph: "Legislators from Jubilee have tried hard to discredit the ICC process, yet their efforts are guided more by the need for self-preservation and selfish interests than national good”. It probably didn’t help either that the offending piece was headlined “Stop interfering with court process”.
t
Provide proof I burnt Kenyans in Kiambaa church, Ruto tells media house https://t.co/UzdyyJJ2vU pic.twitter.com/DbbTEGNSuY
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— The Star, Kenya (@TheStarKenya)
November 18, 2015
In a country where media houses have been accused of taking the side of the suspects in the Kenyan ICC cases, it took some brass for The Standard to publish an editorial that essentially called the government out for treating the 2007/08 post-election violence as fiction. Some Kenyans online weren’t happy with Ruto’s reaction to the editorial, and they let him know it.
t
The audacity of this man! And his mockery of "justice"... " @HagueTrialsKEN: This https://t.co/SIYjzhDrtf"
t
— DemandBlackDolls (@WaaJahK)
November 18, 2015
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So is Ruto trying to say no Kenyans were burnt in Kiambaa Church?Or wea those trees? @RadioCitizenFM @StandardKenya @Arapsang @WilliamsRuto
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— Faith Kamami (@Kamamifay)
November 18, 2015
There’s a lot more to Ruto’s tweet, though. There’s a reason why he specifically called out The Standard’s “editors” and “owners”. The Standard, Kenya’s oldest newspaper and second most popular in terms of circulation, is owned by the family of the former president, Daniel arap Moi. There’s talk in the Rift Valley that Moi is grooming his son, Gideon Moi, to take Ruto’s place in the coalition with President Uhuru Kenyatta if the ICC case doesn’t go the deputy president’s way. Last week, State House Nairobi announced that former president Moi had had a meeting with President Kenyatta and Ruto wasn’t present. Ruto himself has accused Gideon of praying he gets locked up at the ICC.
Ruto is, therefore, understandably anxious. You would be too if an influential paper owned by your rival kept publishing articles like this about you.
t
"Going to the ballot in 2017 with Mr Ruto is akin to taking a malaria-ravaged patient to the battlefield" http://t.co/xIVb3l5Kvw
t
— Ahmedkadar (@Ahmedkadar1) August 23, 2015
Ruto is fighting for his freedom in The Hague and for his political life in Kenya. Until he wins both battles, expect him to continue caring what the press writes about him.
What are all those MPs doing in The Hague?
So the promised invasion of 100 Kenyan MPs at The Hague never materialised. Only 20 legislators reportedly traveled to The Hague to lend their voice to Kenya’s push against the continuation of the Ruto and Sang case at the Assembly of States Parties (ASP) meeting. But 20 is plenty if you ask The Star’s resident cartoonist Victor Ndula.
t
Assembly of state parties about to get a feel of #KENYA Mpigs #ICC @TheStarKenya @HagueTrialsKEN
pic.twitter.com/pzwoAz6nXo
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— VICTOR NDULA (@ndula_victor)
November 16, 2015
The Kenyan government’s agenda at the ASP is bound to clash with that of civil society organisations, which are keen to see the victims of the 2007/08 PEV get some semblance of justice. The local press has been selling the expected exchanges between the two sides as an epic, high noon-style confrontation.
t
Big clash at ICC talks over Ruto. For this and more click to download full copy
https://t.co/iMBRAatqs1 pic.twitter.com/Z1oL4ihsoj
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— The Standard Digital (@StandardKenya) November 18, 2015
Citizen TV even called it “the final assault”.
t
Kenya prepares for a final assault on DP Ruto, Sang ICC cases #SundayLive
pic.twitter.com/3CqPeB6n5d
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— Citizen TV Kenya (@citizentvkenya)
November 15, 2015
Before you grab your popcorn, you should know that the press is probably overselling the kind of confrontations likely to be witnessed in The Hague. At the time of publishing, the only skirmishes that had been witnessed online were a hashtag “ #SuspendRule68”, started by a government handle, which had been countered with “#RetainRule68”.
t
Kenya has cooperated with ICC #SuspendRule68 https://t.co/Kz2n3qX9wm
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— State House Kenya (@StateHouseKenya) November 17, 2015
t
The ICC should know kenya and other African nations are sovereign states not colonies. STOP the politics be just and #SuspendRule68
t
— John Mukoyani (@CaptMukoyani)
November 17, 2015
t
Lest we forget that; Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere so let Justice reign! #RetainRule68
pic.twitter.com/XXns2QnACo
t
— Gracey Grace (@Gochieng12)
November 18, 2015
t
We know who killed our people we may not have the evidence for a court of law but we know them #RetainRule68
t
— The Intellect (@Ishmaelitho)
November 18, 2015
So far, the Kenyan MPs have been on their best behaviour. If things don’t go Kenya’s way when its agenda is discussed later in the week, that might just change. This writer has column inches to fill, so you know what outcome I'm crossing my fingers for.
Lead image: Kenyan Deputy President William Ruto and Senator Gideon Moi (Photo: ICC-CPI/Flickr, Gideon Moi/Facebook)
#Assembly of States Parties (ASP)#ICC (International Criminal Court)#Kenya Cases#
William Ruto
In this week’s press wrap, why Deputy President William Ruto wants The Standard newspaper’s editors to testify at the ICC. Also, what are all those MPs doing in The Hague?
You probably missed it, but Deputy President William Ruto this week picked a fight with The Standard newspaper. The first sign of trouble was this tweet from Ruto’s official Twitter handle.
t
So if the editors/owners of standard have evide- nce that sang & I burnt Kenyans in kiambaa church why don't they provide for justice sake.
t
— William Samoei Ruto (@WilliamsRuto) November 18, 2015
The deputy president was apparently unhappy that an editorial piece that The Standard had published on Wednesday about Kenya’s ongoing efforts to rescue him and his co-accused Joshua Sang from the clutches of the ICC contained this nugget:
“To these leaders, perhaps the deaths of 35 people in the Kiambaa church arson attack are a fairy tale.”
As The Star reported, besides the reference to the Kiambaa church attack, there was a lot more in the editorial to anger Ruto. Take this line from the second paragraph: "Legislators from Jubilee have tried hard to discredit the ICC process, yet their efforts are guided more by the need for self-preservation and selfish interests than national good”. It probably didn’t help either that the offending piece was headlined “Stop interfering with court process”.
t
Provide proof I burnt Kenyans in Kiambaa church, Ruto tells media house https://t.co/UzdyyJJ2vU pic.twitter.com/DbbTEGNSuY
t
— The Star, Kenya (@TheStarKenya)
November 18, 2015
In a country where media houses have been accused of taking the side of the suspects in the Kenyan ICC cases, it took some brass for The Standard to publish an editorial that essentially called the government out for treating the 2007/08 post-election violence as fiction. Some Kenyans online weren’t happy with Ruto’s reaction to the editorial, and they let him know it.
t
The audacity of this man! And his mockery of "justice"... " @HagueTrialsKEN: This https://t.co/SIYjzhDrtf"
t
— DemandBlackDolls (@WaaJahK)
November 18, 2015
t
So is Ruto trying to say no Kenyans were burnt in Kiambaa Church?Or wea those trees? @RadioCitizenFM @StandardKenya @Arapsang @WilliamsRuto
t
— Faith Kamami (@Kamamifay)
November 18, 2015
There’s a lot more to Ruto’s tweet, though. There’s a reason why he specifically called out The Standard’s “editors” and “owners”. The Standard, Kenya’s oldest newspaper and second most popular in terms of circulation, is owned by the family of the former president, Daniel arap Moi. There’s talk in the Rift Valley that Moi is grooming his son, Gideon Moi, to take Ruto’s place in the coalition with President Uhuru Kenyatta if the ICC case doesn’t go the deputy president’s way. Last week, State House Nairobi announced that former president Moi had had a meeting with President Kenyatta and Ruto wasn’t present. Ruto himself has accused Gideon of praying he gets locked up at the ICC.
Ruto is, therefore, understandably anxious. You would be too if an influential paper owned by your rival kept publishing articles like this about you.
t
"Going to the ballot in 2017 with Mr Ruto is akin to taking a malaria-ravaged patient to the battlefield" http://t.co/xIVb3l5Kvw
t
— Ahmedkadar (@Ahmedkadar1) August 23, 2015
Ruto is fighting for his freedom in The Hague and for his political life in Kenya. Until he wins both battles, expect him to continue caring what the press writes about him.
What are all those MPs doing in The Hague?
So the promised invasion of 100 Kenyan MPs at The Hague never materialised. Only 20 legislators reportedly traveled to The Hague to lend their voice to Kenya’s push against the continuation of the Ruto and Sang case at the Assembly of States Parties (ASP) meeting. But 20 is plenty if you ask The Star’s resident cartoonist Victor Ndula.
t
Assembly of state parties about to get a feel of #KENYA Mpigs #ICC @TheStarKenya @HagueTrialsKEN
pic.twitter.com/pzwoAz6nXo
t
— VICTOR NDULA (@ndula_victor)
November 16, 2015
The Kenyan government’s agenda at the ASP is bound to clash with that of civil society organisations, which are keen to see the victims of the 2007/08 PEV get some semblance of justice. The local press has been selling the expected exchanges between the two sides as an epic, high noon-style confrontation.
t
Big clash at ICC talks over Ruto. For this and more click to download full copy
https://t.co/iMBRAatqs1 pic.twitter.com/Z1oL4ihsoj
t
— The Standard Digital (@StandardKenya) November 18, 2015
Citizen TV even called it “the final assault”.
t
Kenya prepares for a final assault on DP Ruto, Sang ICC cases #SundayLive
pic.twitter.com/3CqPeB6n5d
t
— Citizen TV Kenya (@citizentvkenya)
November 15, 2015
Before you grab your popcorn, you should know that the press is probably overselling the kind of confrontations likely to be witnessed in The Hague. At the time of publishing, the only skirmishes that had been witnessed online were a hashtag “ #SuspendRule68”, started by a government handle, which had been countered with “#RetainRule68”.
t
Kenya has cooperated with ICC #SuspendRule68 https://t.co/Kz2n3qX9wm
t
— State House Kenya (@StateHouseKenya) November 17, 2015
t
The ICC should know kenya and other African nations are sovereign states not colonies. STOP the politics be just and #SuspendRule68
t
— John Mukoyani (@CaptMukoyani)
November 17, 2015
t
Lest we forget that; Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere so let Justice reign! #RetainRule68
pic.twitter.com/XXns2QnACo
t
— Gracey Grace (@Gochieng12)
November 18, 2015
t
We know who killed our people we may not have the evidence for a court of law but we know them #RetainRule68
t
— The Intellect (@Ishmaelitho)
November 18, 2015
So far, the Kenyan MPs have been on their best behaviour. If things don’t go Kenya’s way when its agenda is discussed later in the week, that might just change. This writer has column inches to fill, so you know what outcome I'm crossing my fingers for.
Lead image: Kenyan Deputy President William Ruto and Senator Gideon Moi (Photo: ICC-CPI/Flickr, Gideon Moi/Facebook)
#Assembly of States Parties (ASP)#ICC (International Criminal Court)#Kenya Cases#
William Ruto
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